Burger Babies
by Finnian4ever
Summary: Just a cute little story about what happens when two of Libra's most valuable operatives, who are lovers, are inexplicably regressed to children. Very fluffy, with a threadbare plot thrown in.


))))))))))))))))))))))((((((((((((((((((((((

"From what I gathered, they both felt extremely drowsy after dinner and went straight to bed. Beyond that we have no real clues. I feel we need an expert analysis in this case."

Gilbert said, flawlessly covering the any panic in his voice.

He'd brought Klaus and Leo to the office after issuing an emergency bulletin to the rest of the team. Currently they were all trying to scoop their jaws up off the floor; their newest member, as well as their powerful leader, were both sitting on the sofa dressed in much too large clothes, staring back at them all with wide-eyes. And they both looked to be five or six years old.

"I found them both like this when I went in to wake them up this morning. Any theories, people?"

No one spoke for another minute, before the tension and silence was broken by Zapp's obnoxious laughter.

"Oh my god! Our almighty and commanding chief barely looks old enough to be out of pull-ups! And look at his little baby fangs! So cuuuuute! Klaus, you never told us you had sideburns even as a kid! Bwahahahaha!"

As Zapp spoke, young Klaus grew red in the face and poked at his round cheeks, where peachy red fuzz foretold his adult sideburns. In contrast to the quite reaction, little Leo was frowning, and suddenly snapped,

"Hey! Stop being mean to Klaus, dummyhead!" He pointed a childishly chubby finger at Zapp and went on, "Bullying people smaller than you makes you a cow!"

"Coward, master Leonardo." Gilbert cheerfully corrected. "Calm down, now."

Leo pouted and crossed his arms.

"Zapp's a meanie…" He muttered under his breath.

"So, um…are they at the intelligence level of kids too, then?" Steven asked inching closer. "I mean, you remember us, right, Klaus?"

Klaus nodded. Gilbert stepped closer and placed a bandaged hand on Klaus' shoulder.

"I questioned them on the ride over here; apparently their life memories are still intact, nothing about them, essentially, has been lost, but their mental processes have been regressed to that of children. Therefore, in their current state they remember everything and describe it very…"

"Childishly?" Chain offered. Gilbert nodded.

"The master was even more reserved as a child, and rarely spoke. It appears he's reverted back to being that way."

Klaus ducked his head.

"So, he was a shy kid, huh?" Steven asked, looking just the tiniest bit amused.

"That's the very least of our worries here!" K.K. said loudly. "How the hell did this happen?! Are they going to be like this forever? We need Klaus' powers and ability; can he still do that? What about Leo? Are his eyes ok?"

At hearing his name, Leo sat up straighter.

"My eyes are fine! Look!" He opened his eyes, showing off the bright blue glow. Instantly every other person in the room cried out and slapped hands over their own eyes.

"Leo! Leo, close your eyes!" Steven yelled, reaching out with one hand as though to try and stop the little boy. Leo obeyed, and everyone relaxed, letting out various sighs and huffs of relief.

"I swear I just saw three new colors…in kaleidoscope vision!" Zapp moaned, slumping against the back of the couch opposite the boys. "Don't ever do that again, Leo…"

"What did I do?" Leo asked innocently.

"It appears you do not have the life force at this age to control the energy of those eyes of yours," Gilbert guessed, "if you try to open them you'll accidentally scramble the vision of anyone in the direct vicinity. Only use them to see through your lids, ok?"

"Ok, sorry." Leo said, sounding completely unconcerned.

"Well, that answers one question; if Leo can't control his eyes in this state, there's no way Klaus can control his blood techniques."

Steven's statement made them all fall into solemn silence for a minute, contemplating the seriousness of the situation.

"What are we going to do without his power and skill?" Chain asked. "We are all a force to be reckoned with even without him, but that doesn't mean he's not pivotal to what we do."

"Our first priority must be finding an Alter World expert," Gilbert declared, "someone who might be able to pinpoint why this happened, and how. There is little else it could be apart from an Alter World influence."

"I'm on it." Steven said, power walking to the computer station and beginning to search frantically.

While he took it upon himself to do that, the rest of them gathered a bit closer to their afflicted team members.

"Do you feel any different?" Chain asked of the boys. Leo shook his head.

"Nope."

"Well, you both look adorable." K.K. said, coming up to ruffle their hair. "I know how serious this is, but still, you're both too freakin' cute!"

Leo laughed at the attention.

"I've got a start." Steven called. "Mercury! We've gone to her before with questions on very difficult cases. She's Alterworldian, and is ancient even by their standards. She's a deep well of information, and she never asks for payment when it's us asking. She says that all peace keepers need all the help they can get."

Gilbert made an affirmative sound.

"I should have thought of her at once! We must contact her and then bring masters Klaus and Leo to her."

"We can't take them anywhere in those clothes!" K. K. said, horrified. "Look at them! It's like we pulled them off the street. No, even street brats have clothes that fit them somewhat. This is just sad. Give me a while, I'll go home and bring back some of my sons' clothes."

"Good!" Leo said, holding up his arms to show the hoodie sleeves pouring down over his hands and onto his lap. "I'm drowning in this, like it's trying to eat me."

"Don't worry, I'll bring you something that fits."

Klaus got up, and when he stood and walked the shirt draped on the floor and drug after him like a little train. He went to tug on Gilbert's sleeve. The faithful butler knelt down and the child whispered into his ear, then clung to his hand.

"Master Klaus is wondering about shoes; his feet are cold."

"I'll buy some, along with socks." K. K. sighed. "I'll need to measure their feet first so I get the right size."

She went to her giant leather bag, rummaged around and pulled out a measuring tape.

"Why do you have that in your purse?" Zapp asked, gawking.

"I'm a woman, and a mother." Was all the explanation she gave. "You first, Leo. Let me see your feet."

The little boy stuck his chubby legs straight out in front of him, but the hem of his oversized hoodie still covered his feet entirely.

"Oh, your foot's hiding from me," K. K. said in a playful tone, "I'm…gonna…get it!"

At the last two words, her hand darted forward and grabbed one of Leo's feet through the hoodie. To everyone's shock (though they really shouldn't have been), Leo let out a squealing laugh, his whole face breaking into childish delight.

"Oh, your foot's still hiding from me! I'm…gonna...find it!"

Another high-pitched cry and laugh as K. K. bared Leo's foot and then held it hostage as Leo tried to kick out of it.

"Alright, settle down now. You want me to get you shoes that fit, right?"

Leo obeyed, and K. K. obviously knew what she was doing, and everyone else watched on as she worked, running the tape along the length of his foot, then around the widest part, taking note of the numbers.

"Ok, Klausie, you're next."

Klaus inched closer to Gilbert, and leaned his head against the man's waist.

"Come, Master Klaus. If you want shoes, let K. K. measure your feet."

"Come on, it's fun!" Leo called from his seat, kicking his feet. When Klaus didn't budge, Leo huffed and climbed down to hurry over to the other boy. "It doesn't hurt or anything, it kinda tickles though."

Klaus peeked his head out a bit from behind Gilbert, but didn't move. Leo got impatient and grabbed Klaus' tiny hand in his own even tinier one. He pulled him toward the couch, and Klaus reluctantly followed, nibbling on his thumb the entire time as he clung to Leo's hand and stayed right by his side.

"Ok, Klausie," K.K. said when Leo had convinced Klaus to sit on the sofa, "let me see your feet."

Before Klaus could move to obey, Leo pulled up his sweater hem to expose his feet. Like Leo's, they had been completely drowned in the material. Klaus held onto Leo's hand until K. K. was done measuring, and then Leo patted his head.

"You did a good job! See? It wasn't scary."

Everyone covered their smiles and laughs, except for Zapp, who made a gagging sound.

"I can't take this for too long. It's just too sappy and weird."

"I think you mean adorable." Chain corrected him, leaning over the back of the couch to ruffle Leo's poufy hair.

"Ok, I'll be back." K.K. announced, grabbing her purse and heading for the door. The team let out a small collective gulp.

"But, you're the only one here who knows anything about kids!" Zapp's words got his legs swiped out from beneath him by Chain when he said this. K. K. chose her exit well as the two began fighting.

"I'm a woman, aren't I?!" Chain demanded. "You think I can't handle this?!"

"Sometimes I wonder about you being a woman when you hit like such a man!" Zapp barked back, regaining his footing.

"Please, you two, not right now." Gilbert interjected. "They are still children at present. Let's not fight in front of them."

Chain and Zapp turned their backs on each other, turning slightly red when they saw how their yelling had made the two kids cower on the couch, covering their ears. Leo recovered first, and then urged Klaus to lower his hands again.

"Gilbert made them shut up, it's ok now." Klaus let Leo reassure him, and Zapp murmured in a whiney imitation;

"'Gilbert made them shut up'…"

"Which one's the kid here?" Chain asked, rolling her eyes.

Steven ignored the two as they began bickering again, only in whispery, sharp tones, and headed for the two boys.

"So, Klaus, will you talk to me, buddy?" Steven asked, bending over the child. Klaus blinked big, green eyes up at him and shrugged in response. Steven kneeled down to be on his level. While it was concerning that this had happened to the both of them, it was more than interesting for him to see his close friend in this state.

"Not even a 'hi'?"

Klaus looked thoughtful, then lifted a hand and gave a little wave. A very tiny, soft voice came out in an even and measured,

"Hi…"

Every head turned at the sound of that voice. Klaus ducked his head when he saw everyone looking at him.

"Well done, master Klaus!" Gilbert said, clapping lightly a few times. "We always praised him when he did speak as a child because he so rarely did."

"I see," said Steven, sounding as positive as he could for the shy boy, "Awesome, buddy! Fist bump!"

Klaus returned the gesture, his lips curling into a smile around his little fangs.

"I wanna fist bump too!" Leo cried, jumping over to Klaus's space and reaching out for Steven's hand. The tall man pulled back, wagging a finger at Leo.

"Ah-ah-ah! You have to earn it."

Leo gave a grumpy face.

"What do you want me to do? All Klaus had to do was say hi."

"Yes, but Klaus doesn't talk all the time." Steven explained. "You do, so it's not as special."

"Steven!" Chain reprimanded.

"I'm special!" Leo protested, at the same time. Steven looked amused but didn't back down.

"I always believe everything needs to be earned. So, show me something you can do, and then I'll give you a fist bump."

Leo fidgeted with his fingers, looking downcast as he tried to think of something. He almost looked like he was about to cry, but then his face suddenly lit up.

"I can pull your nose off! Wanna see?"

Steven chuckled and nodded. Leo reached out and pinched Steven's nose. He then proudly displayed his own thumb between his middle and forefinger.

"Aha! I got it, see? Now you have to fist bump me to get it back!"

Steven faked groping at his nose in surprise. He raised one eyebrow as he realized just what Leo had done.

"Oh no! But that's trickery! I said you had to earn it, but you're blackmailing me instead! Ah, well, points for creativity."

He gave the coveted fist-bump to the boy, who giggled and pushed his thumb against Steven's nose again.

"There ya go! All better!"

Klaus had been watching all this with rapt attention, and he looked long and hard at Steven before reaching out timidly and pinching his nose just like Leo had. When he pulled back he studied his own thumb carefully. Steven did his best to engage Klaus when he realized the boy was wanting to participate in the game. As dramatically as he could, he held his face and cried,

"Oh no! Now Klaus has my nose! Whatever will I do!?"

Klaus gave a wide grin and jumped off the couch to stand right in front of Steven. He put one small hand on the man's shoulder and used his other hand to 'pop' his nose back on.

"Woohoo! You did it, too, Klaus!" Leo hollered, standing up on the couch and jumping on it. Klaus climbed up beside the excited Leo and grabbed onto his hand to make him settle down. He waited until Leo steadied himself on his feet, and gazed at him with wide, trusting eyes. Then he stole Leo's nose too.

In retaliation Leo began reaching for the redhead, but Klaus jumped down from the sofa and ran away, cradling the invisible 'nose' to his chest with a big grin on his face.

"Bring my nose back!" Leo yelled, giving a flying leap off the sofa after Klaus. Steven made a dive for the little boy, catching him just before he hit the floor, but that didn't slow Leo down. He pushed right off of Steven and began chasing Klaus around the office.

"What are we supposed to do?" Zapp asked, skirting the young boys' path as they came barreling though.

"Let them have their fun." Gilbert advised. "It likely won't last long. Children's minds wander easily. Although, master Klaus was something of a prodigy. He can most likely still beat any one of us as Prosfair even now."

"You don't say." Chain commented, watching Leo squeal and laugh as he cornered Klaus and then tackled him. "He just looks like a little kid right now."

The two of them wrestled playfully for a while, the huge clothes getting in the way nearly every move. But they were both smiling and enjoying themselves, as Leo kept trying to wrestle Klaus' hand open and retrieve his 'nose'. When Klaus finally gave in and popped it back onto Leo's face, the two of them sat up and began laughing together. Klaus' child laugh was pure and sweet, high-pitched like Leo's, but not as manic. His head was tossed back and his eyes were shut in delight.

"Wait a minute," Zapp said, observing the scene, sparkles dancing in his eyes, "Klaus is a tiny, defenseless little thing who can't fight back right now…this is my perfect chance!"

"You can't be serious." Chain asked, looking enraged. "You're a monster."

"Oh come on, when else will I be able to have this chance!? It's now or never for real this time!"

Zapp darted a few steps forward and went to lunge at Klaus, ready to strike him down like he would have his adult form. At the last second of the attack, however, Klaus turned and saw him. At once the boy's eyes widened in fear and he dropped to the ground, curling into a tight ball. The sight of his target recoiling in such fear when he usually wiped the floor with him made Zapp halt in confusion, having been ready for at least a little fight. While he hesitated, Leo exploded up off the floor and began screaming.

"You were trying to hurt Klaus again! Zapp, you bully! Leave him alone! I'll beat you up!"

Leo flung himself at Zapp and, true to his threat, began pummeling him in the stomach as hard at his little five-year-old fists could manage. Regardless of being so small, he still threw a hard punch, especially since Zapp wasn't expecting it. The man toppled over, holding his stomach and groaning while trying to fend the boy off.

"Whoa there, Leo, it's alright, you got him!"

Steven called, snatching Leo up and holding him under one arm. The small boy continued to kick, throwing his fists around and wailing.

"He tried to hurt Klaus! Nobody hurts my Klaus! I'll beat up anybody who tries!"

"Cool it, Leo, I didn't hurt him." Zapp coughed out.

"You tried to, you mean old scarecrow!"

Chain gave a giggle at that.

"Serves you right, you know." She chuckled down at Zapp as he crawled into a sitting position and flipped her off.

"OK, Leo, that's enough." Steven tried again, but Leo was pitching a fit. His face was turning bright red, his body wriggled and jerked in his attempts to free himself, and his eyes popped open to glow angry blue as they focused on Zapp.

"No! Make him say he's sorry! He scared Klaus!"

Leo pointed toward where Klaus had been coiled up on the floor, but he was no longer there. When Leo cast his eyes around, he found Klaus kneeling down by Zapp's side. The redhead looked concerned for the man rather than frightened. Zapp stared at the child in disbelief, speechless for once.

Klaus let out a sigh of relief, and placed one hand delicately over Zapp's forehead in a contented pat.

"Klaus, why're you being nice to him?!" Leo demanded. "Get away from him, he's a bad guy who tried to hurt you!"

Klaus looked from Zapp to Leo for a second, and then stood up to walk to where Leo hung from Steven's arm. He placed one hand on Leo's shoulder and shook his head. Leo's eyes closed slowly, hiding the never ending pools of blue as his face saddened.

"B-but…why?" Leo sounded so lost and confused, and went limp, all signs of fight leaving him. "After I stuck up for you…"

"I'm outta here." Zapp said, pulling himself to his feet and heading for the door. "Call me if you need me to battle any particular nasties. Otherwise I'll just wander around and do it on my own."

Steven waited until the man was gone, and then put Leo down. Klaus tried to move closer to the other boy, but Leo promptly stormed away. He plopped down in the corner. Sonic followed him and curled around his shoulders. Klaus looked very sad, so Steven clapped him on the shoulder.

"It's ok. He'll come around. Leo always was an emotional guy, so I guess he's even more so as a kid."

Klaus rubbed one foot against the opposite leg and looked unconvinced. Steven smiled at the little version of his best friend, and held out a hand to him.

"Come on, want to play some Prosfair?"

Green eyes lit up with interest. The glanced over at Leo sulking in the corner once more before taking Steven's hand and following him.

Chain took it upon himself to check on Leo, kneeling down next to him.

"Still mad?" She asked bluntly. Leo nodded firmly.

"Because Klaus was nice to Zapp?"

Leo nodded, giving a harsh frown.

"After I beat Zapp up for him!"

"Klaus is always kind, Leo, no matter what anyone does."

"But I stood up for him for once, and he didn't even care!"

"He cared too much; he didn't want to see you so upset just because of smelly old Zapp. Do you think seeing you start a fight would make him happy?"

Leo thought about it. His little face relaxed into a rueful expression.

"I guess not." Leo muttered.

"Do you think Klaus feels good, knowing that you're mad at him?" Leo's stubborn expression fell slightly.

"No…"

"Why don't you go say you're sorry?" Leo nodded.

"OK."

They went over to where Steven and Klaus were playing Prosfair. Chain gave Leo a little push, and the boy grudgingly crawled up onto the sofa next to Klaus. The little redhead glanced at him, but kept most of his concentration on the game. Bit by bit, Leo scooted down until he was nearly against Klaus' side.

"Sorry I yelled at you…sorry I was mean…"

Klaus turned his head to look at Leo, and a smile brightened his young face. Without looking, Klaus made his next move on the Prosfair board, to Steven's dismayed grunt. Then he leaned down and kissed Leo's head. Leo giggled and flopped over to hug Klaus.

"So," Chain asked, clearing her throat, "I know you're both kids right now, but are you still aware that you're dating?"

Leo popped upright onto his knees and grabbed Klaus around the neck.

"Klaus is my boyfriend!"

He declared happily, kissing his cheek. Klaus didn't respond to this, as he was watching Steven's next move, but he didn't look unhappy to hear those words. Until Leo went on,

"We eat together and live in the same house, it's like we're married!"

Little Klaus' big eyes went wider, and a fierce blush spread instantly on his face. Chain whipped out her phone and took a picture. It was too precious for her not to. Then she pressed the video record button as Leo rambled on like any little kid.

"I love Klaus soooo much! He's big and strong, and he smells like apples with cinnamon sugar! But he's shy so I gotta read his mind a lot! He could carry me around when he was big, but I think he's too small now…but he gives me cuddles and hugs and keeps me warm in bed every night! Like a big, sleepy lion!"

Klaus was playing his moves like a champ while Leo was speaking, but he swung between a concentrated scowl, and an absolutely mortified expression.

"And we hold hands a lot too!" Leo demonstrated by linking their fingers together and bouncing their joined hands on his knee.

"My hands are still smaller than his, but they used to be a lot bigger, like bear paws! He says I'm his tiny little panda! Coz I'm little…well, I was bigger, but still littler than him, and I always look like I'm wearing black and white baggy clothes. He even called me his sweet little marshmallow one time!"

Steven cracked and a strangled laugh escaped him. Klaus acted instantly, and moved the final time, sliding his game piece into check. That wiped the smirk off Steven's face.

"You're just as good at this as a kid…" Steven groaned, admitting defeat by knocking over his main piece. Klaus leaned back on the sofa and grinned with his victory. Chain stopped recording there, and slipped her phone into her pocket for easy access.

"Good job, Klaus! You're the best!" Leo shook his arm vigorously in his excitement.

"Another game?" Steven asked.

"That's so boring!" Leo complained. "We should do something fun."

"Like what? This is an office, not a playground."

Thankfully, they didn't have to think up any amusements on the spot. K.K. returned just then, flinging the door open with great drama.

"I'm baaaack! And I brought the most adorable clothes that I could find from my sons' closets! Oh, I can't wait to dress you boys up!"

She deposited her bags, and the two boys went to gather around them, Chain following to look over their shoulders. K.K. rummaged through the bags from her home, and pulled out a bright green garment.

"Here, Klausie, it's a hoodie that my older son hasn't grown into yet. I hope it'll fit you."

Klaus fiddled with the edge of his huge white shirt, and looked pointedly over at Gilbert, who came to his aide at once.

"Miss K.K., do you happen to have child's undergarments as well?"

Klaus blushed, seeing as Leo had already stripped himself out of his shirt and was only holding the front over his groin, uncaring that his little bottom was on full display as he looked through the bags with one hand.

"Of course I do, I'm a mother, after all!"

K.K. produced a pair, and Gilbert helped Klaus put them on under his shirt to preserve the shy child's modesty. He did the same with the pants K.K. gave him before Gilbert pulled off the overly large white shirt Klaus was in. K.K. then tugged the green hoodie down over Klaus' head. She helped wiggle his arms into the sleeves too.

"Oh wow, it fits perfectly!" She clapped her hands. "And now, little Leo, your turn."

K.K. dressed the wiggly little form with a smaller set of underwear, pants, and a long-sleeved t-shirt. Then, the new sets of socks and sneakers she had bought specifically for them. The boys studied their new footwear for a while, jumping about and running here and there while K.K. sorted the rest of her things.

During all the commotion, Zapp returned, looking frustrated and muttering something about stupid scooters running on the most expensive gas in the city. So he plopped down and only grunted at the boys when they tried to get his attention.

"OK, Leo, come here again!" She called, and Leo came to her at once, giggly and excited. "We need to figure out what to do with that hair of yours. It's so long and wild, you need it out of your face."

K.K produced a small wooden box with carvings of cherry blossoms on the lid. She sat Leo down on the sofa facing her, and she took a seat on the coffee table to be on his level. He watched with anticipation as she dug through the various hair decorations. Finally she selected two barrettes with flowers on them. Leo's mouth formed an impressed O and K.K. began to comb his hair back from his face. It was thick, unruly, and wavy to the point of curly, but K.K. took to the challenge well. She finally pulled it back in two cute little bumps on either side of his head and fastened them in place with the barrettes.

"K.K. what are you doing to him!?" Zapp demanded, having looked up from his phone. "Why're you putting flowers in his hair? He's little now, but he's still a guy!"

"The flowers are pretty." Leo said, as though that answered the question. Zapp flung himself down next to Leo, clapped his hands over his shoulders, and looked him right in the face.

"Listen up, little punk, you're a boy! You shouldn't want to look pretty, you should want to look butch! I know you're a pansy sometimes when you're big, but at least you always put up a good fight and knew how to take a beating like a man!"

"Why can't I look pretty?" Leo asked simply.

"What? Because you're a guy!"

"So?"

"So only girls want to look pretty and put flowers in their hair!"

"Why?"

Zapp grabbed his hair in frustration.

" _Because that's just how it is!"_ Leo pouted.

"I like the flowers. They look cute."

Zapp gave a loud grunt of anger.

"I like you better when you argue with me like a teenager and not a baby! I'm telling you, girls do girl things and boys do boy things!"

While he was talking, Klaus sidled up next to K.K. and picked up another barrette from the box and tried to put it into his own hair. She helped him, grinning wickedly as Zapp complained. Klaus kept Zapp from saying anymore by placing himself directly between Zapp and Leo, letting the man get a good look at his barrette.

"Damnit, Chief…" Zapp whined, wilting into a defeated hunch.

"Don't mess with boys who want to wear flowers." K.K. said smugly. Zapp gave another exasperated sound and turned to stomp off.

"Big, mean Zapp is gone now." K.K. assured them playfully. "And the two of you look adorable!"

Leo beamed his five-year-old smile at her, and Klaus gave a small grin as well.

"Flowers notwithstanding, are they ready to go?" Steven asked. K.K. nodded.

"Sure are."

"Are you coming with us, Master Steven?" Gilbert asked.

"I feel I should for added protection. I don't want anything to happen to Klaus, or the kid."

"My sentiments exactly."

"Do I get to go?" Zapp asked.

"We need someone to hold down the fort here at HQ." K.K. answered. "You, and Chain, play nice while we're gone."

Both of them looked startled and then angry. Before they could say anything, Gilbert spoke.

"Remember, you two, that the fine citizens of this city are infinitely more important than any petty differences you share. Don't let your bickering endanger anyone. Am I clear?"

The two looked grumpy still, but sheepish too.

"Very well, let us go to the garage."

"We get to ride in the awesome car!" Leo announced excitedly, jumping up and down a few times.

"You like the car that much?"

Steven asked, looking a little awkward when Klaus took his hand and held on.

"I love it! It's so cool!"

"Come along then, let's go for a ride."

OOO

K.K. had gone with Klaus this same way several times when he needed backup for he life-or-death Prosfair games with the Arlelelle. She knew this path to the alterworld well, though they were not going to the same destination. Where they ended up was what looked like a little rural cottage, though all the bricks were made of some glassy black material which had an iridescent sheen to it. The landscaping around the house was all odd and alterworldly.

Twisting vines of purple, blue, green, and yellow adorned the fences, while mushroom-like plants glowed white in a mound on one side of the yard. A tree with solid black leaves and bark grew by the side of the house, and stooped low near the front door. It was loaded with strings of pink flowers, which swung delicately in the light breeze.

Klaus and Leo both opened their mouths in wonder as they surveyed the ethereal garden from the car windows.

"Now, boys," Gilbert said, "take one of our hands when we get out of the car, and do not let go until we are inside the cottage. Is that clear?"

They both nodded, looking a little scared for how serious Gilbert sounded.

"Alright, out we go."

They got out, Klaus instantly grabbing Steven's hand and Leo taking K.K.'s. When they all grouped together to head toward the door, Klaus picked up Leo's free hand, so they formed a chain. Gilbert knocked on the door. A few long seconds passed before the door's lock was turned and it swung open. In the doorway was an alterworld being. She was a tiny creature barely bigger than Leo. Her form was vaguely humanoid with four arms, her skin a dark purple, and her face sported a pair of wrinkled tentacles that curled un beneath her chin. Behind her back a short, stubby tail similar to a lizard's, poked out of her simple light green dress. There were many wrinkles around her large (nearly bulbous) blue eyes, but they were bright and alert, the slit pupils taking in all details of her visitors.

"Ah, Gilbert, good to see you again." She said, her voice sounding worn with years, but with a kick of joy behind every word. Gilbert bowed to her respectfully.

"Greetings, Mercury. Same to you."

She bowed her head slightly to him as well, and then stood aside and gestured them toward the open door.

"Please come in."

They all shuffled into the little front room, which was decorated in fancy laces and glass. It had the distinct look of an older woman's house, one who had money to spend on decorations and pretty furniture.

"Sit the boys here." Mercury said, and they obeyed, putting them on a very stiff white leather sofa. Mercury tugged a little pouf over in front of the sofa, and eased herself to sit on it, using her tail for balance. Then she gazed at Leo and Klaus for a moment.

"Ah, Mr. Klaus, you are a cute little one, aren't you?" She said finally, patting Klaus' knee. "It's good to see you again, too."

He nodded at her, smiling.

"So, they woke up like this?" She asked, casting her eyes over them both again. As she did, their color began to change. From their original blue they shifted into silver, white, lavender, and back in a hypnotic whirl of slowly merging colors.

"Yes, ma'am." Gilbert answered. "I'm not sure what happened between last night and this morning to cause such a change."

Mercury picked up Leo's hand, then Klaus', and held them up, palms toward hers. With her two other hands she cupped their chins and tipped their heads back.

"Open your mouths and say 'ah'."

They both did, and she looked down their throats. Then she tutted to herself and glanced up their noses too. When she did this, her two aged tentacles uncurled and pointed toward their faces, suddenly glowing with iridescent light that lit up their nasal passages to her sight.

"Hmmm…well, there's the trouble." She declared, lowering her dimming tentacles and releasing their faces. Her eyes settled into the regular, calming blue. "It's a hormone."

"From what?" K.K. asked, looking confused.

"Secremotes. They go through a cycle once a year where they revert back to being infants, it's a cleansing process. Although in rare cases if the hormone that causes this change is consumed by other species the effects can be the same. But the odds of the hormone actually transferring to anyone else is nearly unheard of. Though this appears to be a synthetic replica rather than the real thing. They both still have their memories, plus the hormone generally reverts the subject back to being a newborn or infant, not a young child, that's another giveaway."

Steven looked concernedly at Klaus, who was looking wide-eyed and curious at everything around him like he was no more than a day over five or six.

"So how do we reverse this?" He asked. Mercury grunted and eased to her feet again, pushing the pouf back into position before the only other chair in he room. When she turned around, she slowly sat down on the pouf again, and then sighed before answering,

"It's a hormone, which needs to be replaced by the body in order to have ongoing effects. Obviously, they don't produce it on their own, so let it runs its course and then they'll revert back eventually."

They all relaxed visibly, and sighs were heard all around.

"Thank you so much, Mercury." Gilbert said, bowing to her again. "We are in your debt. Should you ever need us for anything, you have but to ask."

"Anything for Libra." Mercury said firmly, though a little bright yellow hue had begun to glow in her cheeks.

"In the meantime," Steven said, standing up, "we should look into whoever might be replicating this hormone and for what purpose. I'm afraid we should take our leave at once. I'm sorry to be so brief, ma'am."

Mercury shook her head.

"You've got bigger problems to deal with, so off you go. Keep the world safe."

K.K. herded their little ones off the sofa, and encouraged them both to wave goodbye to Miss Mercury. They both did, and she waved two of her four hands, and one shriveled tentacle at them with a smile.

As they linked hands again on the way out, Leo whispered to Steven,

"So, what happened to us?"

"You must have swallowed something that turned you and Klaus into kids again." Steven explained simply. "But you'll be back to normal eventually, so don't worry, ok?"

Leo nodded, and grinned as they piled back into the car.

"She knew what was wrong right away!" He declared. "She must be smart!"

"Mercury is an unending well of knowledge due to her age." Gilbert clarified. "She's identified many issues for us, though she's not sure every single time, her success rate is impressive. I knew it wouldn't take her long to determine the problem."

As they got back on the road, the adults all began discussing who might be manufacturing a synthesis of a hormone that makes one young again, and what the market for such a drug might be. When they reached the more normal parts of the city, Leo spoke up.

"I'm hungry." He said insistently. "Can we get burgers?"

"All growing boys need to eat." K.K. said with a smile. "Ok, let's go by the Jack Rocket. I know Leo loves that place."

"Yay! Burgers!" Leo whooped, throwing his arms in the air with a cheer.

The drive back, after the long drive-through process with two children, just about drove Leo insane with impatience. The smell of the food in the car was a torment to anyone, but specifically to a boy. When they finally laid out the food on the coffee table back at headquarters, Leo tore into his burger without skipping a beat. Only to have his face scrunch up a second later. He paused to take the bun off his burger, and began meticulously picking off the onions, lettuce, and tomatoes.

"You don't like the veggies?" K.K. asked, taking a bit of her own chicken sandwich. Leo shook his head.

"I did when I was big, but not right now." As Leo resumed eating his condiments-only burger, Klaus wordlessly scooted closer and began picking up Leo's discarded veggies, layering them over his own on his own burger.

"Just look at them!" Chain said. "Little burger babies!"

Leo's mouth was full, but he mumbled a little echo of 'burger babies!'

"I'm so going to call the Chief that every time I see him now!" Zapp declared, ruffling Klaus' hair. "I'm sure you'll love that, won't you, little guy?"

Klaus ignored him and took his first bite of his double-topping burger and gave a little grunt of happiness. Leo reached for a fistful of fries and stuffed them into his mouth. Klaus followed suit, though he dunked his in ketchup first.

"Geeze, Gilbert, didn't you feed them breakfast?" Chain asked, seeing how starved the two appeared.

The old butler nodded, though he looked a bit guilty.

"I did, but I won't lie, it was very rushed due to the circumstances."

Klaus made another happy sound deep in his throat and continued devouring the meal, only pausing to take sips from his Peps.

Chain made it her personal duty to film as much with her phone as possible, starting with them eating lunch. After that she hung around, hitting the record button as often as she could, whenever she sensed they were about to do something cute.

She got Leo convincing Steven to play hopscotch with him and Klaus. She got Zapp trying once more to pluck the flower barrette out of their hair, to which Leo screamed like a banshee, and Klaus slapped Zapp's hand away hard enough to leave a red mark. She caught footage of Klaus beating Steven again in yet another two games of Prosfair in five minutes flat, and Klaus beginning to yawn after that. When they were about to start the third game Chain nearly gave up on filming, but then Klaus rubbed his eyes tiredly and literally tipped over onto his side on the sofa. K.K. carefully removed his shoes for him, so he'd be more comfortable.

Klaus wasn't the only one who needed a nap. As if Klaus' tiredness was contagious, Leo started yawning too. He kicked his own shoes off, and climbed up on the same sofa, pushing Klaus over a bit. Without a single word, they cuddled up to each other; Leo snuggling back against Klaus and pulling one of his arms around his little pudgy waist. Sonic hopped up next to them and in a mirror image, curled up against Leo's chest, letting Leo clutch him like a teddy bear. They all fell asleep moments later, looking like a set of Russian nesting dolls.

The only reason neither Chain or K.K. actually squealed was because neither of them would risk waking the two from their nap. They went through all the motions regardless; waving their hands, making huge 'awwww' faces, and shaking their heads, all in total silence. It was like someone pressed mute on a chick flick. K.K. took a few still pictures on her own phone. Even Zapp was not invincible to the adorable, and he joined them briefly in making a 'daw' face. But only for a second, before he turned his back, most likely to hide his blush.

While the little ones slept, Steven and his team worked on finding leads on the hormone synthesis, trying to keep it down from across the room. A few reports came in of similar cases to Klaus and Leo's, causing fear and panic for the ones experiencing the phenomenon. Thankfully, Steven could report that it would eventually wear off, but even then he had no clue how long that would take.

Somewhere in the midst of the investigation, Klaus woke up and carefully untangled himself from Leo. He rubbed his eyes again and looked around, blinking. Leo woke up too, though he whined and turned over to block out the light in the sofa cushion. All of the adults were gathered around the computer tables on the far side of the room, and though they were facing them, they were intent on their research. So not even Gilbert noticed little Klaus sliding off the sofa and pattering over to the desk, where a pitcher of water sat by a few empty glasses. He was a big enough five-or-six-year-old to clumsily pour himself a glass and take a drink. Then his eyes wandered to the giant plants around the desk. He looked down at the mostly-full glass in his hand, and then to the planters and pots of varying sizes. Klaus went to the nearest one, a little fern that sat on a shelf, and tried to reach it.

Try as he might, it was just high enough to be out of reach. Klaus strained up on his tiptoes, and managed to brush the pot with his fingertips. Unfortunately, it was enough to move the pot, but without and control or meaningful movement. Therefore, when Klaus tapped the side of the pot with his fingers, it wobbled quickly over the edge of the shelf, and fell. The little redhead jumped aside to avoid it hitting his head, spilling a bit of water with the action.

The planter smashed with a fatal breaking of the pot.

Everyone's attention zeroed in on little Klaus, Leo jerked awake suddenly, looking scared.

Klaus stood there, stunned, for a moment, and then instantly his face scrunched up as tears formed in his eyes. The next second he was sobbing, tears escaping his eyes and rolling down his cheeks. Gilbert rushed to his side, examining him for cuts while he wailed.

"It's ok, Master Klaus." Gilbert tried to calm him. "The plant is probably ok, it's just the pot that's broken."

This didn't console Klaus, and he continued to cry. Leo looked around rapidly, and spotted the coffee mug on the corner of the coffee table. He jumped off the sofa and picked it up. It was empty, thankfully, because it looked huge and heavy just on its own in Leo's hands. He set it down beside the spilled earth and shattered pottery pieces that Gilbert had not yet retrieved, and picked up the fern by the stem. He plopped it into the coffee mug, which fit it pretty well, and then he picked up a few handfuls of dirt and shoved them in around the plants' roots. When he'd packed the dirt in tight, he brushed off the excess. He quickly carried the mug with its new resident over to the still-crying Klaus.

He took one of Klaus' hands away from his face, and wrapped it around the mug. Klaus opened his watery eyes, and his sobs faded as he looked down at the makeshift planter. He sniffled, and then took the mug in both hands and hugged it to his chest like it was a teddy bear. He hiccupped a few times.

"All better now!" Leo laughed, and clumsily tried to wipe the tears from Klaus' face, but his fingers were a bit dirty, and he only succeeded in wiping dirt over Klaus' face.

They heard a wheezing sound behind them, and when they turned, they found K.K. and Chain, both with their phones out, pressing hands over their mouths as they suppressed squeals of delight.

"Daw, poor Klausie," K.K. said, putting down her phone when his big, watery eyes fell on her, "let's go get you cleaned up."

Chain filmed K.K. taking Klaus to the bathroom to wash away the dirt from his face and hands. Klaus carried around the coffee mug with the fern in it like it was a stuffed toy, holding it against his chest while he was led around by K.K.

"I think he wanted to water the plants." Gilbert said, when they all came back out into the main office. "He used to do it every day, and we haven't yet today."

Klaus nodded, and then hugged the coffee mug flower pot to his cheek, opened his mouth, and spoke.

"They're thirsty."

Everyone stopped in acknowledgement of the second time Klaus had spoken that day. Gilbert couldn't clap this time because his hands were full of pottery shards, but Leo clapped for him.

"Hooray! Klaus, you should talk more!"

Klaus hid his face behind the leafy branches of the little fern, and no one pressed him, Chain simply pointing to the red blinking recording light on her phone to indicate that she'd captured it for all time. Gilbert discarded the broken pottery and began sweeping up the rest of the spilled dirt. As he worked he asked,

"Master Klaus, would you like to water the plants?"

Klaus peeped out from behind the fern and nodded, looking hopeful.

"Some habits just die hard." Steven laughed, and he came forward toward the little redhead, holding out his hand. "Come on, I'll help you water them."

Klaus took Steven's hand, keeping his other wrapped around the fern.

"We should water that one first!" Leo said suddenly, pointing to the fern. "It got hurt, so it needs a drink in its new home."

"Ah, very good, Master Leo." Gilbert said, tossing out the last of the dirt into the wastebasket. While he retrieved the watering cans that Klaus used every day, Steven and Leo had to try convincing Klaus to put the fern down. When Gilbert returned, Klaus complied, and with his faithful butler's guiding hand, poured a stream of water down into the mug-flower-pot. A big smile spread on his face, and he gave a happy chuffle of a laugh, bouncing on his feet. Leo caught his excitement and bounced a bit as well, grabbing Klaus by the arm and smacking a big, elementary school kiss on his cheek.

"It's all better now!" He then hollered, swinging Klaus' hands in his.

Klaus just dusked his head to hide his smile, and his blush.

Although, he should have known better than to hide anything from K.K. and Chain's cameras.

))((

By the time that night fell and it was time for any respectable parent to put their children to sleep, both Klaus and Leo were fast asleep in the back of the car on the ride home.

They'd had a full day for little ones; Klaus had watered almost every plant in the office with Gilbert and Steven's assistance, and Leo had helped and watered the other half. Steven had even let Leo on his shoulders to reach a plant that was on a high shelf, since it needed more sunlight than the others. After that came games with toys K.K. had brought, which lasted a very long time, and then a dinner of Chinese takeout. Once dinner was finished it was time for everyone to go home, despite wanting to stay and continue getting footage and pictures of their team members in such vulnerable bodies and with such regressed mental processes.

K.K. came along to help Gilbert, along with her bag filled with things they might need that night. She knew it meant sacrificing a night at home with her own family, but she had her work family to support right now. Klaus and Leo fell asleep in the car during the ride to Klaus' mansion, and Gilbert and K.K. carried the sleeping boys up to their room. They stirred and protested sleepily when their clothes were removed, but never fully woke up.

"Is it really wise to dress them for bed, ma'am?" Gilbert asked, when they'd gotten the boys out of their day clothes. "We do not know if they will change back tonight, or in the following days."

"Good question." K.K. said, biting her thumbnail. "The details we uncovered about the crime ring responsible for this synthesized hormone were sketchy at best. All the info we got said it would take between two to three days depending on the dosage, and we still don't know where they picked it up."

"Either way, I think it would be best if we leave them au natural to be safe." Gilbert suggested. "We don't want their clothes constricting their bodies if they do begin to change back."

"Sound thinking." K.K. agreed. They tucked Klaus and Leo beneath the covers, and then removed the last of their clothing before leaving the bathroom light on as a night light. K.K. couldn't resist, and snapped one last photo on her phone of the two sprawled out over the pillows. Then she gave them both a goodnight kiss on the forehead.

Gilbert had agreed to let K. K. stay in Leo's room for the night, since it was attached to Klaus', where the boys were sleeping. From what he said Leo hardly ever slept in his own room anyway, so K.K. had a nearly pristine room to stay the night in. She tried to relax and read a book for the first two hours, but kept checking in on the pair to be safe. Eventually, though, she did succumb to weariness and fell asleep in her own bed.

))((

Klaus was woken by a little series of jerking movements by his side. He blinked open his eyes and saw, in the dim light of the morning, Leo sitting up next to him in their bed. The young man was running hands over his face and body, turning and twisting to look at himself, breathing shallowly. The next second he jerked his head over and looked at Klaus. Leo's eyes were wide open and glowing blue, fixing on him with intensity. When Klaus lifted a hand to wipe the sleep from his eyes, to get a better look at Leo, those blue orbs widened, a smile broke out over Leo's face.

"Klaus!" He said in a happy whisper, and threw himself forward. Klaus was still half-asleep, but managed to catch Leo in his huge arms.

"We're back to normal! Thank god, we're back to normal!" Leo laughed, hugging him close. Klaus smiled, and tightened his arms around his lover as memories of the previous day came flooding back to him. He rocked Leo a few times in thankfulness that they were back in their regular, adult bodies.

"That was quite the experience, wasn't it, my dear?" He asked in a sleep-slurred voice, burying one hand in Leo's thick hair and pressing his face against it to smell the familiar scent of it's softness. "I'm so glad I can hold you again."

Leo nuzzled against him, curling his smaller body around Klaus' massive one as best he could while Klaus laid them both back down.

"From what I remember," Leo said, "that didn't stop you when we were kids. You still held me sometime yesterday."

Klaus ran both of his hands down Leo's naked back, to cup his behind.

"Not like this, I didn't." He teased, in a low tone. It still sounded sleepy, but Leo shivered all the same as Klaus squeezed his soft flesh to emphasize his point.

"You're not even awake!" Leo protested, tapping his fingertips on Klaus' cheeks, and the sideburns that were back in place. Klaus hinged upward gently at the waist to be able to give Leo a kiss, then fell back down on the pillow.

"Come up here." Klaus murmured, lifting his hands to Leo's head and waist. "Help me wake up."

Leo crawled up Klaus' chest a bit so that he could lean down and start smacking kisses all over Klaus' mouth and face, cradling that thick, muscled neck. Klaus returned the kisses, relearning the feel of Leo's mouth, the smoothness of his cheeks, and the warmth of his body. They were very quickly all over each other as kissed, chuckled, and just reveling being back in their familiar bodies. Klaus flipped them over, pinning Leo to the mattress and causing the bed covers to shift down to their waists as he cradled Leo's head and began devouring his mouth. Leo clung on to Klaus' shoulders, both of them moaning softly.

A soft gasp and chuckle halted their exploration, and their heads snapped toward the door to Leo's room. K.K. was standing there, in her robe and her hair a mess, obviously having rushed out of bed. Her mouth was twisted into a smile she was trying to straighten out.

"I'm sorry," she said in a strangled voice, "I heard sounds, and, uh…well, looks like you boys are back to being men, so…"

Klaus was covering Leo's modesty with his body, and his own was preserved with the blanket, though it was riding low on his hips, but still K.K. looked away quickly and began walking backwards through the doorway.

"I'm glad to see you're both ok!"

"Thank you, K.K., we are perfectly sound." Klaus said, in a tone of such politeness that Leo nearly laughed. "Thank you for looking after us yesterday. We will be down for breakfast shortly if you would care to join us there."

"Oh! Breakfast, yes! Sounds lovely. I'll see you there!"

Then she darted through the doorway that neither of them had noticed had been open, and closed the door with a deliberate little bang to let them know she would not be intruding again. Leo slapped his hands over his face in embarrassment, giving a little groan.

"I don't even remember her putting us to bed last night, but you know she must've." Leo said. "We should've thought of that."

Klaus leaned down to kiss the hands covering Leo's face.

"We're all adults here, it's nothing to be shy about." Klaus assured him. Leo began giggling, and lifted his hands away from his face, revealing a huge open-mouth smile.

"Heh…we're all adults here _now_ , you mean."

Klaus smiled down at him gently, and scooped the smaller man's slender frame up in his arms, cradling him against his chest. Leo slid his arms around Klaus' neck and held on.

"I'm so glad to have you back." Klaus whispered to Leo, pressing his face into Leo's shoulder, his sideburns tickling the soft skin. "But you were utterly adorable as a child."

Leo squirmed to get more comfortable and gave a short laugh.

"I remember being so much more impulsive, feeling everything so strongly and instantly. You were pretty cute as a kid yourself, you know. Hardly a word spoken yet still stole all the hearts."

Klaus blushed a bit, and laid them back down again, side by side this time so they could just look at each other.

"It was strange, not wanting to speak again. I remember it as a child, but to relive it was…eerie. I was just so shy of everything, so afraid of saying something incorrectly. My household was very strict, and when I was very young I think I wanted to circumvent any criticism by way of silence."

Leo held him a bit tighter and kissed his nose.

"Well, you're all grown up now and you speak so well that you can melt me into jelly anytime you want, just with one word."

"Oh really?" Klaus rumbled, rubbing Leo's back lovingly.

"Anytime you want." Leo repeated, tugging at that thick, red hair.

They lay there together for a few more silent moments, drinking in the other's presence. Finally, Klaus sighed heavily and said,

"We should dress and go down for breakfast. By now I'm sure Gilbert is preparing it." Leo whined and dropped his forehead against Klaus'. "I know, I know, but I'm sure everyone will be wanting to know we're alright."

With a final huff, Leo rolled away from him and sat up.

"Fine, but you know what's going to happen when we get there." Klaus sat up as well, tilting his head at Leo's question. To which Leo shook his head and rubbed his eyes. "They're going to pull out all the photo and visual evidence that yesterday ever happened, and we'll have to see it _all day_."

Klaus' lips parted for a second, but then closed, and he lifted a hand to his chin.

"Hmm…I don't think I'll mind that," he admitted, "I think it will be enjoyable."

Leo looked agog at Klaus before bursting out into a fit of laughter.

"Klaus! You never really did grow up, did you? Under all that toughness, you're just a big kid at heart!"

The big man rolled his shoulders in a shrug, and grinned slightly.

"Is that such a bad thing?"

Leo came around the other side of the bed, completely comfortable with their nakedness, and hooked his hands on Klaus' waist, staring up at him.

"Not at all."

Klaus cupped Leo's chin, smiling down at him, and gave him one last kiss on the lips.

"Now comes another awkward part." Leo announced, as they pulled apart.

"Oh? What's that?" Klaus asked.

Leo's eyes twinkled as they opened briefly.

"All my clothes are in the other room."

))((

THE END


End file.
